It All Began With A Dream
by Satellizer123
Summary: Summary: In her third year, Chiffon had a dream that completely changed her life. And even weirder, it seemed to have something to do with the new Limiter named Aoi Kazuya... How would the two find friendship and love in the turbulent time to come?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Summary: In her third year, Chiffon had a dream that completely changed her life. And even weirder, it seemed to have something to do with the new Limiter named Aoi Kazuya... How would the two find friendship and love in the turbulent time to come?

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Chapter 1

Gasp. Gasp.

She awoke in a cold sweat but she doesn't remember exactly why. All she could recall was a pair of fearful black eyes staring at her from darkness and a long, terrified scream that seemed to have erupted from herself. The Pandora sighed wearily. She had been in that dream for quite several nights lately, and it always managed to leave her restless and uneasy for the whole day after.

Looking at the clock on the bedside table, she sighed again, this time of exasperation: 4.12AM. Crap.

"Well, I guess I won't get anymore sleep now." Chiffon Fairchild grumbled uncharacteristically and dragged herself out of the bed. If she couldn't sleep, she might as well be preparing for a new day instead of lying idly for more than 2 hours in bed. Well, at least that's the plan. Sleeping just 3-4 hours a night had finally taken its toll on her; the much-appreciated naps just couldn't make up for it. Sitting on the bed to put on her shoes, she wasn't able to resist the softness of the mattress, the fluffiness of the blanket… She tried futilely to sit up once more before succumbing to a dreamless slumber.

.

Kazuya Aoi rubbed his still sleepy eyes when walking down from the airplane. Last night was terrible for him, with all his airsickness issue and that continual dream haunting him to death. Come to think of it, he never remembered what he dreamed about, or why it bothered him so much. All he knew was that it made him tense and unable to concentrate the whole morning until something else came up to occupy his mind. Deep in thought, Kazuya didn't know he was leaning against the academy gate for support, or that there were two women eyeing him curiously.

.

When Chiffon agreed to accompany the Principal to greet the new Limiter student, she never once thought that this meeting would be something unusual; just the same protocol: introducing herself, guiding the newcomer around the school, answering various questions, and often keeping in touch afterwards. Then if they happened to bump into each other later, she would always recognize the other and be the first to say hi. That's why she was loved by all; no one could possibly hate the friendly, childish, funny President. Not to mention quite attractive.

But when she first saw Kazuya, whose name was mentioned by Sister Margaret beforehand, she felt this strange feeling in her stomach; not exactly pleasant, but not by any means unpleasant either. Blaming it for a missed breakfast, she continued her walk towards the entrance. Upon reaching it, they discovered that he was dozing off, leaning by the metal gate. Chiffon blushed when she realized she was staring; Kazuya looked really handsome, but cute and shy all the while. The feeling she'd been having swelled up almost immediately, and she shook her head violently in an attempt to abandon it. This didn't go unnoticed by the older woman beside her; she smiled knowingly, then coughed to wake the boy up.

.

Hearing someone gently cough, Kazuya snapped his head up to be face-to-face with a middle-aged woman, who he remembered was Sister Margaret, the Headmistress of West Genetics academy.

"Oh I'm really sorry sensei. I wasn't paying attention." He quickly apologized, silently chastising himself for being so daft.

"It's fine Kazuya Aoi. Welcome to West Genetics. As you may have known, I'm Sister Margaret, the academy's principal." They shook hands. "And this is the Student Body Council President, Chiffon Fairchild."

Not until then did Kazuya notice the girl standing beside the Headmistress. She was really pretty, Kazuya noticed, with her short brown hair and a lovely face.

The nun continued. "I have to go now. I hope you'll have a great time studying here."

"Thanks sensei." With that she walked away.

Turning his attention back to Chiffon, Kazuya smiled shyly. "Hello Fairchild-senpai. It's very nice to meet you." He bowed a little, then straightened up so that they were facing each other.

.

Chiffon did a sharp intake of breath when Kazuya opened his eyes.

_A pair of fearful black eyes staring at her from darkness and a long, terrified scream that seemed to have erupted from herself…_

It couldn't be. His eyes were exactly like the ones in her dreams! But why could something like that happen? She didn't even know him before, and she was dreaming about his eyes?

Her train of terrifying thoughts was interrupted by hearing the Principal's introduction. Pushing whatever she was thinking to the back of her mind, she focused on doing her job.

.

"Hello Kazuya-san. Please call me Chiffon. I'm the school's first-ranked 3rd year student, so I was made Council President. I hope we can be friends." The President smiled brightly, chasing the awkward moments away.

Pleasantly surprised with the girl's friendliness, Kazuya replied. "Of course, I'd like it very much senpai."

"You're really nice Kazuya-san. Come on, I'll show you around." Chiffon skipped inside the open gate. Kazuya hurried after her, glad to not be a complete stranger at a new place.

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"And there's the training compound. Here's where Pandoras and Limiters test their skills with stimulated NOVA opponents." Chiffon pointed at the massive arena. "And of course, with each other, but only during the Carnival."

Chiffon was right; the academy was indeed very huge. They spent all afternoon walking around the other day, and still could not cover one fifth of the school ground. She could only show him the whole dormitory area before it was dinnertime, so they agreed to meet each other the next day. And the next. Now they were meeting again the fourth time, and neither felt boring or awkward; they enjoyed each other's company too much for that.

"Wow..." Kazuya exclaimed. "Why do people need that much space to compete each other?"

"Well, the nature of these battles is massively devastating, so it's just fitted that the battlefield is required to be huge." Chiffon answered nonchalantly. She'd answered this question many times before, since a lot of new students didn't believe it until they'd seen for themselves.

Kazuya opened his mouth to ask another question, but before any sound came out, the massive wall in front of them exploded, throwing them both off their feet.

"Wha… What happened?" Kazuya asked, still dazed by the sound. He never noticed being helped to his feet by the already recovered Chiffon.

"I'm not sure…" She trailed off, immediately knowing the answer after seeing a woman figure with blonde hair.

"Oh, I remember now. Today is the Carnival of the Second years. So… Enjoy…?"

Kazuya looked over to the sheepish-looking Chiffon with a "Now you tell me" look.

.

Satellizer was nearly swept away by Genessa's attack. Had it not for her ability to quickly regain control of the situation, that smug redhead would have almost win. Narrowing her eyes to see through the dense smoke, she could barely make out four deadly chains with pointed ends heading her way with extreme speed. No problems though, Genessa might as well attack with eight of them and they still wouldn't do an ounce of good, the blonde vaguely thought when she quickly parried, yes, _parried_the attack. Turning her newly materialized Nova Blood sideways, Satellizer stopped the chains dead in their tracks, then _crushed_them with brute force. Her opponent was stunned; dread filling her face. She smirked inwardly, knowing Genessa would have to stay in the hospital for a long while after this.

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"Senpai, who is that? She is really powerful, don't you think?" Kazuya asked in awe after seeing the blonde Pandora defeat her aggressive opponent with ease. He wasn't quite used to seeing blood, but he was so impressed to mind that.

"She was Satellizer , the 1st-ranked Second Year in our academy. You observed well Kazuya-san. She is very strong, that's why she stays undefeated for a long time. Not just undefeated, mind you, she didn't even get **touched.** You know, here we call her 'The Untouchable Queen'". Chiffon imformed Kazuya, eyeing Satellizer with admiration.

"Hey senpai, you're first-ranked too, and in your third year no less. You must be much better than her." Kazuya smiled playfully.

She flushed bright red at his compliment. Half-heartedly ignoring the excited fluttering in her stomach, she replied. "Thanks Kazuya-san. Well, maybe someday I'll find out about that."

.

Later that day…

Someone knocked on the door, making her jump a little. Recognizing the familiar sound pattern, she relaxed.

"Come in!" She said in her usual cheerful tone.

The door opened, revealing a beautiful blonde girl in a red dress with golden accent.

"Good evening Chiffon-senpai. Can I come in?" The girl said, smiling just a little.

"Of course Satella-san. Good evening to you too." Chiffon stood up from the recliner to greet her friend. "So, how did the Carnival go?"

"Don't play dumb senpai. You saw me fight. I saw you too."

"Well, I just thought you would like to tell me about it."

"I think I did well. That Genessa almost had me once, but she was too… inexperienced to accomplish that."

"Satella, I know you have respect for the girl, why don't you two stop fighting all the time and try to be friends?"

Satellizer sighed. They'd talked about this before. "But she's so arrogant! Even though she never wins, she always talks to me like I'm an underachiever or something." Stopping a moment to breathe, she concluded. "We will never be friends."

"I don't know, but she seems nice enough around Arthur." A good listener and observer as she was, Chiffon always took time learning more about people in order to see through their masks. Genessa Roland was no exception; she could be very sweet and friendly, but for some reason, not to Satellizer.

"Of course she is. They're a couple." She said haltingly. Chiffon could easily see the jealousy behind the way her friend talked. "Anyways, who's the guy going with you this morning?"

"Ah, he's Kazuya Aoi, the new Limiter student." The older Pandora replied, not really feeling up to talk about boys at the moment.

"I didn't have time to take a good look, but you two certainly seemed friendly with each other." Satellizer smirked. "Maybe you'll find a Limiter after all."

She knew she had hit the jackpot; it was ingenious to tease Chiffon about her Limiter issue. Despite being very friendly and open to everyone, Chiffon had little more experience in romance than a child did; Satellizer sometimes heard Limiters talking about Chiffon being too childish and naïve to be someone to have a relationship with. That was why she was stuck with temporary Limiters every battle, and even though she hated it, there's nothing she could do.

"Satella!" Chiffon exclaimed indignantly, feeling her face burning up. "We've just met!"

"Yeah, I can see right through that."

Too vexed to retort, Chiffon chose to huff and turned away.

"Come on, don't be mad at me." The blonde playfully whined. "Oh, it's late already. I'm heading back to my room. Goodbye senpai!"

Chiffon turned around to give her a parting smile. "Bye Satella-san."

.

Later Days!

NCT


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: Here goes chapter 2. This is more like a filler, since it focuses on Chiffon and Satellizer's friendship. And maybe I'll put some Kazuya's POV in here too. I hope I'll get more reviews

Chapter 2

After Satellizer left, Chiffon lounged herself on the bed, enjoying the relaxation. It was always pleasant to have an amiable chat with the blonde, and she was glad that they had somehow managed to befriend each other. Despite Satella's cold and hostile appearance, Chiffon knew deep down she was a nice and reserved girl, so she set out to make acquaintance. Wherever her warm side hid, it must have been really, **really** deep down, since Satellizer just kept ignoring her or declining her offers for a long time. But the Council President wasn't the type to easily give up; she finally found her way to the impassive Pandora, but only on a special event.

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_Chiffon pulled her cloak closer around her body, but it couldn't stop her shivering. The temperature seemed to get even lower as she walked inside, and that was saying something, since it must be like -1 degree outside. Then again, she was never used to the cold, and the semi-darkness of isolation didn't help either. But her footsteps never ceased; she kept walking towards until she saw what she came here for._

_Every chamber inside this punishment building had a thick, solid metal door, keeping everything, or everyone, out of the normal world. And recently, a particular Pandora student that went by the name of Satellizer had been put in here for physically injured another student, or more accurately, a couple consisting of a high-ranked Second Year and her partner. All that just because they accidently bumped into her in the way, then started to blame each other afterwards; she beat them both up, and now she was suffering for that reckless action._

_The naïve Pandora couldn't help but feel sorry for Satellizer; what she had done was indeed unforgivable, but there must be a reason why she always reacted to something so trivial with that much brutality. And Lord knows the ever-restless President would found out about that. Taking a deep breath, Chiffon used her keycard to open the door. (AN: Plot convenience, don't fret about it)_

_._

_Satellizer didn't even bother to look up quickly when she heard the buzzing sound of the opening door; it must be the food delivery, even though it was a little too soon for meals. She wasn't going to get out of this quarantined hell in a couple of days, and there's no hope of being released early either._

"_Hello__ Satellizer-san…" Whoever else was in the room said meekly, as if feared of startling her. Warily raising her sight to look at the newcomer, Satellizer sighed and asked._

"_Why are you here__, Fairchild-senpai?" She drawled._

"_I'm making a visit, Satellizer-san. I can't think that anyone can suffer being alone__ and idle for that long, so I decided to keep you company for a while…" The girl in question trailed off to sit down, keeping a safe distance from the blonde. "That is, if you don't object."_

_Some small part in Satellizer urged her to snap irritably and kick the too-caring-for-her-own-good Student Coucil President out, but secretly she agreed with Chiffon. Having never had a friend in the academy, she spent most of her free time in her room, reading books, knitting or just thinking. But, she must admit, what kept her from being driven mad was occasional conversations inside class, or hearted cheers from others when she won a competition. No one can live outside the human world, she concluded. So, to __Chiffon's utter joy of accomplishment, she stiffly nodded her approval._

_Bouncing slightly on the not-so-fluffy bed, the senior Pandora said._

"_Satellizer-san, I am really sorry for you, having to stay here. But…"_

_The blonde interrupted her quickly. "I'm sorry senpai, but I don't need you to feel pity for me. I violated the rules, so I was to be put here. That's completely reasonable."_

_Chiffon stared at the other girl wide-eyed. "Is she as selfless as I thought, or am I as shallow as I look?" She thought guiltily, regretting her saying._

"_That's not what I mean. What happened was a mistake on both parts. I believe that had they minded their manners instead of quarreling around, you would have forgiven them."_

_Regaining her composure, she tried another move._

_Satellizer huffed lightly. "They touched me. I don't care what they said, no one, absolutely __**no one**__ can touch me." She looked at Chiffon with fire in her eyes as she said this, making the timid girl cower a little. Then, as if regretting her sudden outburst, Satellizer said nothing more. Heavy silence hung in the room like a ghost._

"_Satellizer-san… I know that you don't trust me in the slightest, but… If we can just talk a little bit, I promise I'll try my best to help you out with everything." Chiffon said hesitantly, but the blonde could feel the honest in her words. Maybe, just maybe, she could trust her to talk about… After all, this WAS the longest conversation she'd had with anybody since she arrived here, and Chiffon Fairchild was the only one that had talked to her without hostility, without apprehension... Just two equals, two acquaintances. This realization filled her body with a feeling that was almost foreign to her… Gratitude._

"_Thank you, Fairchild-senpai. This means a lot to me." She gave Chiffon a half-smile. The brunette beamed happily._

"_So… Can we be friends…?" Chiffon said, extending her hand. Perhaps she was going a little too fast, but without certain grounds of friendship, they could never get to know each other. She must take the chance._

_Satellizer looked at the offered hand with apprehension. She knew the senior meant good, and she was to reply with politeness. But the fear of being touched still loomed inside her… But, yet another but, she also knew: Inside her heart, she longed for a friend. So, without hesitation, she reached out and shook Chiffon's hand. The sensation was warm and welcoming; the sensation of friendship. Satellizer suddenly felt like crying. _

"_I'm glad to be your friend, Fairchild-senpai."_

"_Please, just call me Chiffon. The pleasure is all mine, Satellizer-san."_

_._

Kazuya sprawled across the welcoming bed, utterly drained. Granted, he was no weakling, but a full day of nonstop physical and power test had finally taken its toll. He hasn't had anything to fill his stomach for more than 12 hours, but eating was the last thing on his mind right now.

It was only her that occupied his mind for the whole day. The beautiful girl with short brown hair and an ever-present smile.

Kazuya shook his head at this. Granted, she was the first and so far the only student that had talked to him, so she must have, more or less, left quite an impression. So, it should just be normal that he thought of her as "beautiful", right?

But somewhere down the line he knew it was not the case here. Since he first laid eyes on Chiffon, he was hit by a strange feeling of familiarity, as if he'd met her before, but not as obvious as that. It was a little more than a tingling sensation, something that seemed to be triggered from an image of his mind. Then suddenly, he remembered.

The dreams! Of course! It made perfect sense, but at the same time didn't make any sense at all. How could he been having dreams about someone without even glimpsing at that person before? But beyond all rational senses, the constant image stayed on his mind: A petite figure, the brown hair... But for some reason he couldn't recall anything more than that. There was always a moment when he was lost in a sea of constantly changing colors before he woke up, as uneasy as ever. Spending a few minutes trying to figure that out, Kazuya slowly drifted to sleep.

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A little short, but it made a good foundation for the following events. Later days! And oh, please write me some feedbacks to tell me what you think

NCT


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: To "lord of the land of fire" and "DarkSwordMage", I'm really envious of you two and the reviews you get right now.

Chapter 3

_She was running in the dark, wearing only her silk nightgown. She knew something terrible was chasing her, but she couldn't make out what it was; all she could hear was advancing footsteps behind her, so she ran faster.__ Sharp stones stabbed at her feet painfully, but she had no intention of stopping._

_She turned a corner into a darkened hallway and sprinted as fast as she could. She heard hideous laughter coming from behind her and she nearly screamed but her voice seemed to be lodged in her throat. She could feel the darkness creeping closer with every step. It was going to overtake her. She was going to die._

_She rounded another bend and stopped short. It was a dead end. She spun around wildly looking for someplace to hide when someone grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth, and dragg__ed her into a dark alcove. Whoever it was pulled her down into a grate that led to some underground passageway and pressed her up against the wall. It was an incredibly tight squeeze, barely large enough for one person. She felt a warm chest pressed tightly against her back. She tried screaming._

"_Shhhhh… He won't know we're here if you stay quiet," whispered a soft, musical voice, but it was of a guy._

_Chiffon__ looked up into the face of the man who had grabbed her and saw pale skin and beautiful black eyes. She was looking into the face of Kazuya Aoi! That thought in itself made her breathing become shallow and her heart race even faster. But she didn't feel the urge to scream anymore and he read it on her face. He let go of her mouth, and let the hand wander to softly caress her hair instead. She felt safe and happy for the first time._

_Both pairs of eyes went wide when they heard the footsteps of her attacker approaching dangerously close. She tried to slow her breathing more so it wouldn't be audible but it was pointless. She was just too terrified to be able to control it._

_"You can't hide forever. I WILL find you," the horrible voice said from __above their hiding place. Kazuya knew she was close to sobbing so he covered her mouth again. He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered barely audibly "It's okay. You're fine. He won't find us. Shhh..."_

_She nodded imperceptibly. He pressed himself closer to her to keep her pinned to the wall. He didn't want her moving and accidentally making noise.__ Both of them were aware of the nonexistent distance between them, or to put it bluntly, the fact that the softness of her breasts was pressed against the solidity of his, but they were too concentrated on staying silence to care, or just pretending really hard not to care. The footsteps were getting farther; the attacker must have mistaken this for a deserted end._

"_Oh. Ahem. Uhhh... We should probably…umm… get out of here now, right? Do you think it's safe?" she whispered, flushing bright red._

"_I think we'll be fine. Here, let me help you up."_

_She lifted her leg as much as she could so he could put his hands under her feet and pushed her up inch by inch until she could push the grate back again. He was really strong to be able to lift her so slowly, she noticed, then flushed even brighter. She peeked her head out and around and he was right. Nothing was there. Finally, she was all the way out. He hoisted himself out, turning down her proffered hand, and closed the grate again. He grabbed her hand and they inched their way out of the maze of hallways._

"_Where had it go? It couldn't just disappear, could it?" Chiffon whispered her fear._

"_Here I am, you stupid little girl." A screeching voice pierced their ears, and a __hideous creature appeared from the shadows. It was massive, at least 10 feet tall, and it had the figure of a human; but its whole body was made up from mechanic devices with only muscle and skin to barely cover them up. But what scared Chiffon the most was the face; it was a grotesque, distorted woman's face. She screamed helplessly in terror._

"_Oh look, the powerful Pandora was so scared, somebody please help her!" The creature taunted, obviously pleased to see her frightened expression._

_Kazuya__ threw her behind him while trying to activate his Freezing ability, and told her to run. She stubbornly refused, clinging to his shirt like a child. She tried backing away and pulling him with her but he wouldn't budge. The Freezing net just wouldn't activate, no matter how hard he tried._

"_Freezing is useless against me, you useless Limiter." The monster said before in attacked. He lifted up his arm, and at the end, where the hand should be, is a giant metal stinger. It came down and impaled Kazuya's chest, drawing him into the air and flinging him against the wall. Chiffon screamed again, this time in outrage. She lunged herself at the attacker, when materializing her Volt Weapon at the same time. But instead of her usual clawed gauntlet, what appeared on her arm was that of a dragon: pure shining white, with 5 claws twice as long and sharp as the former ones. It severed the beast's body with ease; pieces of it fell down at her feet within seconds, when the head was still screeching in pain. Chiffon picked it up with her new arm and __**crushed**__ it between her fingers without mercy. The debris dissolved into liquid, and drifted into a grate hole._

_She__ ran over and lifted Kazuya's limp body onto her lap, placing one hand on the gaping wound on his chest, right where his heart would be, not caring one bit that his blood was now covering her arms and hands. She cradled him close to her. When she looked into his eyes, she saw that he was still alive, but just barely. His eyes pleaded up at her while blood trailed from his perfect lips. He coughed and more blood came out, adding to the pool already surrounding his body. He tried to smile at her but she knew it took a lot of effort._

"_I'm so so sorry, Kazuya-kun. I'm sorry," she sobbed into his neck._

_He lifted his pale, long-fingered hand to cup her cheek. She turned her face into his hand and nuzzled it._

"_It's okay," he whispered just audibly enough for her to hear him. "You're the one that needs to live. Live for me, Chiffon-senpai."_

_With those __last words his beautiful eyes went glassy and his head tipped to the side. She knew he was gone forever._

_._

Chiffon awoke with a scream and realized tears were streaming down her face. Not even bothering to wipe them off, she continued sobbing uncontrollably. Little did she know a blonde-haired girl was pounding furiously on the other side of the door, shouting for her to get inside.

She only looked up in surprise when her door was bursted open, but after seeing Satellizer rushed by her side, she couldn't help but cried helplessly, clinging to the blonde's nightgown. Satellizer sat like that for a while, whispering soothing words in her friend's ear, while waiting for the right moment to ask.

"Chiffon-senpai, what happened?" Seeing the sobbing gradually cease, she asked. "Are you okay? Did something hurt you?"

Chiffon's breath was coming out in gasps as she tried to tell Satellizer she was fine.

"It was… only a nightmare, Satella… Oh GOD." The sobbing came back full force.

Satellizer stayed up in her friend's room the whole night afterwards, watching over her as she slept.

.

Chiffon opened her eyes to the dull sound of the world outside. The room was still dark, so it must be really early, perhaps no later than 5AM. Rubbing her eyes to chase the sleepiness away, she noticed that Satella was half-sitting on her bed, her head tipped to the side, her blonde hair covering her face as she slept soundly. She felt a wave of guilt and gratitude; her friend had been there for her, helping her through the pain. This brought a teary smile to Chiffon's face. She carefully lowered Satellizer to lying position without waking her up, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. The blonde sighed contently in her sleep, tightly hugging the pillow. Pleased with her work, Chiffon got dressed and left the room, not without scribbling a note to Satellizer.

_Satella-san,_

_I have to go to the library to look something up. Thank you for being here with me last night._

_._

Chiffon headed straight to the NOVA section, not bothering to look around the rest of the library. The creature in her dream… It was terrible and twisted, yet it bore a striking resemblance to the R-Class NOVA, only that she'd never seen them before. She skimmed through the titles on the seemingly endless shelves,until she found one named History of NOVAs by Heinz Nguyen.

"Thank you, Mr. Nguyen," she cheered silently to herself. She read through the thick book on her way out, not noticing the way; the next thing she knew, she was on the floor, reaching blindly for the book. Whoever had run into her was quick on his feet; he had already stood up and was apologizing rapidly.

"I'm so sorry miss, let me…" So it was really a boy then, but why did his voice sound so familiar…? Finally found her book, Chiffon looked up to meet the boy's eyes only to drop the thick volume back to the ground in horror.

"Kazuya-san…?"

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Is this qualified as a cliffy? Well anyways, thanks MischievousChick for reviewing this story. For that, you get a cookie… and a selection of OCs, if I ever need one

Later Days! And don't forget to review!

NCT


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing. Is this required every chapter?

Author's Note: Thanks EpyonZero23 for the most constructive feedback I've ever had! For that, you get a cookie and my lifelong appreciation. Now, chapter 4.

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Satellizer woke up to the annoying light pounding at her eyelids, but she couldn't open them up. They felt heavy as hell, and she couldn't even move a muscle of her body; she felt exhausted; as if she'd been up all night.

Wait a minute… She **had** been up all night. She sighed; her memory finally coming back to her. Come to think of it, she wasn't in her room either; she must have dozed off some time during the tiring hours. But… This was all for Chiffon, her best and only friend, so she was glad to have done it. Looking to her right, Satellizer hoped to find the petite girl slumbering peacefully next to her, but frowned when all she saw was a piece of paper. Picking it up, the blonde prayed to every God she'd ever known before hastily opening it up.

_Satella-san,_

_I have to go to the library to look something up. Thank you for being here with me last night._

She released the breath she'd been holding with immense relief. If anything had happened to Chiffon, she would have… God she didn't know. But there was one thing for certain: She would do anything in her power to protect her treasured friend.

.

To Kazuya, this day thus far had been really eventful. And that was saying something, since it was probably no later than five in the morning. He had a really frightening dream this night, in which he had to protect a girl (he couldn't, for his life, remember who) and ended up getting killed. The only things that were stuck on his mind were the all-too-familiar swirling of colors at the end of the dream, and the figure of the attacker. It certainly had something to do with the NOVAs, regarding the massive size and the weapon use. He had done a quite thorough research into these otherworld creatures before, and he had grasped more than just the gist of it. This required a trip to the library, and exactly that he did. And now, he just bumped into Chiffon Fairchild, _**holding a book about NOVAs. **_She seemed to have recognized him to, since the book was again dropped to the ground after just being taken hold of.

"Kazuya-san…?"

Hearing his name, Kazuya tried his best to regain composure. Pushing aside confusing thoughts, he replied with difficulties.

"Chiffon-senpai! I'm so sorry! Let me..." He bent down to help her up. He tenderly took hold of her arm and waist, supporting her weight as she stood up. She felt so soft and fragile in his arm Kazuya felt incredibly guilty for making her fall. After managing to stand up, Chiffon tripped on something, forcing her to hold his arm tightly for balance. The feeling of his flesh lightly brushing her soft curves was more than enough to make his heart beat like there's no tomorrow.

.

Finally steady on her feet, Chiffon quickly checked around for her book. Scooping it up, she saw Kazuya eying it with a strange emotion in his eyes.

"What's wrong Kazuya-san? You are staring."

She saw him visibly snap back to the present. "Oh, sorry senpai. I wasn't paying attention. It's just… Why are you doing here so early? Do you have assignments?" He asked, motioning the book.

"Ah… Yeah, I do. I must write an essay about… You know… Things." She waved her hand about to further prove her terrible lie. If Satellizer saw her now, she would laugh in her face for lying so badly. But, to her relief, Kazuya seemed to buy it; he smiled sympathetically.

"I know Chiffon-senpai, I have homework to do to. Good luck on your essay."

"Thanks a lot Kazuya-san." She nodded her goodbye, then headed for the library entrance. But before she had time to get out, she heard him say.

"Chiffon-senpai?"

She turned her head around in confusion, and she gave a little squeak when seeing he was only a couple feet a away from her. How can she have not heard his footsteps?

"Yes?"

"Well, I was wondering… If… Then…" He stuttered. This confused Chiffon even more.

"I don't understand you Kazuya-san." It was then that she saw the blush on his face; this made her drop her jaw in surprise. Was he going to…?

"Would you like to go to the movie with me? You know… Like friends?"

He was. The book was almost on the ground for the third time; Chiffon could barely hold her excitement. He was asking me out!

"I know we haven't known each other for long, but my friend gave me two tickets for a really awesome movie this Saturday, and I don't really know anyone else well enough to ask." He continued.

The feeling of joy kept swelling in her, for now she had known she was the closest friend to him. How can she possibly decline?

"I'd love to go with you Kazuya-san!" She said happily. He beamed with delight.

"Thanks Chiffon-sempai. I'm looking forward to this evening."

"Me too! We'll have a great time!" She reached out and gave Kazuya a light hug; and after a short moment, to her utter joy, he hugged her back. Her heart thumped excitedly inside her chest, and it felt like electricity where he touched her; she had never experienced feelings like this before. The nightmares could wait; this was just too good to be true.

.

Chiffon stretched out on her recliner, looking all the world like someone completely carefree and relaxed. But had she always shown her emotions by her actions, she would have been in her Pandora Mode, ripping everything off by now. She'd been feeling like this for 2 days, and the vague dreams at night didn't help at all; still the same nightmare, but never as clear as the first time. But now wasn't the time to think about it. She only got an hour until her… Dare she say it?... date, and she couldn't even concentrate on what to wear. But clothes were always something she couldn't care less about; unlike Satellizer, Chiffon had never been the picky type. She preferred choosing clothes by chance to spending most of the time in front of the mirror. But then, this was Kazuya she was talking about. Right as the thought crossed her mind, she bolted from the chair and to the dresser she skipped.

.

Getting dressed, to Chiffon, was like building a tent. Simple as that. For example, you always put the undergarments on first, then the outside clothing.

But sometimes it was not just so simple. If you didn't pay attention, you'd end up showing others all the colors of your underwear. To prevent this you should wear deep-colored, non-transparent material outside. People could hardly make out what you're wearing inside, solving the problem.

Except that would often make you look reserved, uptight even. Honestly, who wanted to go out with someone that looked like the homeroom teacher? To stop this you should wear bright-colored jackets outside, or replace trousers with skirts or shorts. Then you could go out, pretty and confident.

But only if you had nice long legs or noticeable curves to show off. This was something Chiffon was painfully aware of; she was almost the shortest third-year there were, and… well… _that _department was also something she lacked of. Granted, she was nowhere near being Atia Simmons (this comparison made her laugh out loud sometimes), but her petite body, when it could make her curves a tad more significant, just couldn't in the same level with Satellizer or Elizabeth. So she should just stick with pants.

As you can see, setting up a tent wasn't always that easy, and sleeping in a cave was a simpler and more reliable way for a night out.

.

"Good evening Chiffon-senpai." Kazuya grinned when he saw the familiar figure running towards him, her brown hair flying behind her. Kazuya had always liked her hair; he often found himself thinking about fondling her feather-soft curls, when she was sitting next to him, her head resting on his shoulder…

Fortunately, Chiffon was too busy panting furiously to notice Kazuya's stare. Her clothing was casual, but it looked really good on her: light red jacket, a striped shirt that ended just above her waist, and rather tight jeans that showed the slender outline of her legs. He found it extremely attractive.

"Okay, I'm fine now. So… Hi Kazuya-san!" Chiffon said her late greetings with a hug, to which Kazuya happily responded. "Sorry I'm a little late."

"It's alright senpai. But the movie is starting in 5 minutes, we should hurry." Kazuya offered his hand, and Chiffon took it with no hesitation. Only then did she notice how handsome he was today. His clothes were not so different to hers; he was also wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a jacket. And they seemed to have taken a liking for similar colors too. She kept sneaking glances at him on their way in, enjoying his handsome yet naïve face. Oh, she'd die from embarrassment if he could hear what was in her head right now.

"Uh… Kazuya-san?" She asked. "What movie are we going to watch again?" He didn't answer, choosing to point at the poster instead. She eyed it warily. It was simple, with only a big isolated house at the middle. The title below was "Amityville"- it didn't ring any bell. But there was something about this that made her a little uneasy.

"Well," Chiffon said. "Let's enjoy it."

.

A little short, but I had a hard time writing this, especially the clothes part.

Enjoy and review!

NCT


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Chap 5

"Kazuya, you're a heartless bastard!" Chiffon cried, running out of the cinema in tears. Behind her, the guilty Limiter tried his best to catch up, but to no avail; to his disappointment, she kept running back to her dorm.  
>When he finally reached where she stopped, she was sitting on a bench, hugging her legs tight to her body. The crying didn't seem to have ceased yet; he could see her shoulders shaking lightly. Only now did he feel extremely guilty for taking her to see a horror film.<br>Kazuya stood next to Chiffon, unsure of what to do. Chiffon was aware of his presence due to the warm radiating within their close proximity, but she was too mad at him right now to say anything. Finally, he sat down beside her and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder.  
>"I'm terribly sorry senpai. I was so stupid. I should have asked you first. I thought…"<br>"They're going to get worse now, Kazuya. Worse, I tell you."  
>Chiffon choked out, interrupting Kazuya's apology. He looked at her, partly relieved that she was still talking to him, but mostly confused by what she just said.<br>"What are you talking about senpai? I don't understand you."  
>Chiffon released her leg-hugging and turned to look at Kazuya, her face tear-stained. Now that he noticed, she didn't open her eyes when she was crying, or more accurately, she never really opened her eyes; they were always virtually closed. That was a little odd, but Kazuya decided not to talk about it now. He chose to wait patiently for her answer instead.<br>"I've been having nightmares, Kazuya." She eventually answered. He nodded sympathetically, motioning for her to continue. "I once had this dream where… people got killed by a grotesque monster, and it made me feel so terrible. And now I can't even get those ghosts out of my mind!" She exclaimed, close to tears again, and Kazuya wasted no time wrapping his arm around her. It could be his imagination, but Chiffon seemed to lean to him a little for support.  
>"I'm sorry Chiffon-senpai. I don't know about that. How thoughtless of me, inviting you to see that film." He shuddered, recalling the chill he had when seeing "Amityville". It was not visually horrifying, but the suspense and hair-raising situations were more than enough to make anyone have bad dreams about it later.<br>Chiffon seemed to have regained her composure by then, so she offered Kazuya a small smile.

"I think I will be fine Kazuya. It's just that… Sometimes dreams can affect you a lot, and before you know it you'll get crazy. Of course you can remember how you feel when you have nightmares, right?"

"You're right senpai. I always feel awful after waking up from a bad dream. I have been having nightmares too, so I know how you feel."

Chiffon raised an eyebrow at this. "You do?" Kazuya nodded.

The girl pondered this a little. Could his dream somehow be connected with hers? But that's too far-fetched, or just impossible. Then again, the dream felt so real; every detail of it etched onto her mind, not vague and easy to forget like every others. Ugh, this was killing her. Couldn't hurt to ask.

"Whoa, it's really strange. What was it like?" She tried not to make it sound demanding, but she couldn't hide the eagerness in her voice. Luckily, Kazuya didn't seem to notice it. He told her what he could remember from his dream, not excluding anything.

Too concentrated on recalling things, Kazuya never noticed the look of horror on Chiffon's face.

.

Satellizer grumbled in annoyance when her door was banged mercilessly by someone outside. She didn't even bother to guess who it was; no one else had the guts to even knock her door in the daylight, let alone this late, unless it was a case of emergency. Chiffon better had a good explanation for this.

Her irritation was immediately replaced with curiosity when she saw the peculiar state her friend was in. Aside from the clothes, which the blonde had never seen Chiffon wear before, she could see distress written all over her face.

"Chiffon-senpai! What's wrong with you?" She knew she wouldn't get any answer soon due to the brown-haired girl's insufficient cardio. So she simply shook her head and helped Chiffon get to her recliner without another word. And relatively silenced she stayed throughout her friend's extraordinary story.

"Wow Chiffon-senpai, that's one weird story. Are you sure what he told you was exactly what happened in your nightmare the other night?"

"I'm sure about that, Satellizer-san. The events were identical, but on different point of view though. He said he couldn't exactly remember the last part, but it was when he got killed, so… the vision should be blurred then." Chiffon replied, not really sure why it was so realistic either.

"Vision, you say? What if it's a… prophecy of some sorts?" Satellizer joked, trying to cheer Chiffon up.

But to her amazement the older girl looked even more sullen at that; her shoulders sagged, and she let out a long sigh.

"I think so too, Satella-san. What if this dream… is to predict something? What if someone is trying to tell me something?"

"Wait, Chiffon-senpai… I was just joking around, that is not possible."

"I think it is. This is getting out of our hands; I need to do something fast."

"I'll do my best to help you senpai."

Chiffon smiled and nodded, planning to say "Thanks!" gratefully; but a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes, and instead of thanking she asked innocently.

"Really?"

Her smile widened when she saw the enthusiastic nod of the unaware girl.

.

"No! I will not meet him!" Satellizer crossed her arms in front of her chest stubbornly.

"Tsk, tsk , Satella… Don't be obstinate." Chiffon replied in her best "Smiling Monster" tone. "You promised to try your best to help me." The girl's singsong whisper made Satellizer slightly shiver, but she still held on to her choice, so she chose to turn away and cover up her ears. She didn't sing "la la la" though, because it would make her feel like an idiot. But she regretted that now, as Chiffon's melodious voice still rang in her ears.

"Oh? Is that so…?" To Satellizer's horror, she saw her devilish friend's hand wandering to her… rather sensitive part.

"All right! All right! I'll do it! Please don't pinch me!" The blonde exclaimed in an uncharacteristic fright-driven high voice. Chiffon smirked inwardly; there's nothing Satella feared more than having a tiny red mark on her normally half-revealed chest. It would definitely ruin her reputation, the one that kept her away from the outside world.

On second thought… Maybe she should do it.

Satellizer's painful squeaks could be heard from far away.

.

"Hello Kazuya-san. I want you to meet my best friend, Satellizer ." Chiffon chirped happily, not really noticing the dumbstruck face of Kazuya, or the extremely uncomfortable one of Satellizer.

"Uhm… Good morning Satellizer-senpai, I'm Kazuya Aoi. Nice to meet you." Kazuya recovered and said in his best manner. He was one step from getting beaten up and he knew it; but somehow he also knew Chiffon would never let that happen to him. Only this thought helped the smile creep on his face. He held out his hand forward, hoping to prove his good intention.

"Nice to meet you too Kazuya-san." Satellizer half-heartedly replied, not intending to shake his hand at all. But then she glimpsed at her brown-haired friend and saw the devil hiding behind that wicked-yet-so-innocent smile of hers, Satellizer knew she would get in much trouble if she didn't do it. So, albeit a little reluctantly, she extended her hand and shook Kazuya's.

A small part inside the blonde girl hoped to find just a little repulsion, so she could make an excuse and run away from him; but she felt nothing bad. It must be okay then, she thought. The other two must have guessed that too, judging by the relieved looks on their faces, especially the Limiter's. Satellizer spent a second looking him over; and she drew a conclusion that Chiffon was really lucky.

"See? I told you Satella-san, nothing is going to happen!"

Now she felt so embarrassed, thanks to Chiffon. Gladly the others didn't seem to notice, so they sat down at a table and started making small talks.

After about 10 minutes or so, a girl walked up to their table and informed Chiffon about a sudden Council meeting, which she completely forgot about. So she excused herself and skipped away quickly.

"Well, I never thought I'd say this, but I have to thank her some time." Satellizer said, looking at the girl's retreating figure.

"For what, Satellizer-senpai?"

"You must have, at some point, heard about my… reputation, correct?" She could see Kazuya stiffen a little in his seat. "To tell you the truth, I'm just a little afraid of being touched by others, that's why I don't have friends at first. But she was the first one here to open up to me, and accept me for who I am. I'm grateful of her for it. And now she just showed me that my fear can be eliminated… by meeting other people."

Kazuya smiled. So the Untouchable Queen was not an emotionless statue after all. And better yet, he now knew Chiffon was even more amazing than he thought she was. Breaking through Satellizer 's walls and befriending her, that's something only she could do.

.

Author's Note: In my country there's a saying that roughly translated as "You will eventually receive what you gave away", and god knows I review for almost every story I read. I won't do stuff like holding a chapter hostage or something, but a few more reviews will definitely boost my motivation.

Later Days!

NCT


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I still don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: I need some help on making a good presentation. I'm competing for a scholarship to Germany in 4 months, and I have plenty to prepare. Feel free to PM me, or include your tips in the reviews. The more help I receive, the faster I update the fic. JK It has nothing to do with writing at all. But seriously, HELP! Now, chapter 6.

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Chapter 6

Satellizer calmly walked to Chiffon's dorm room, feeling strangely gleeful. It was the very first time she'd had a real conversation with anyone; aside from Chiffon, that was. Maybe her friend had been right after all.

Upon opening the door, which Satellizer discovered was not locked, she saw the room was empty. Perking her ears up, she heard faint sounds coming from the wall. Chiffon must be in the bathroom then.

Satellizer smirked, a mischievous idea formed in her head. Silently, she tiptoed towards the bathroom door, and just as it's opened, she jumped forward and…

"Raaaaaahhrrrr!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Next came a dull "thud" as a body fell heavily to the floor. Then after a few seconds, an "Oops" could be heard too.

.

_Chiffon was walking down a dark, empty corridor in her purple tank top and jeans. She felt totally at peace and smiled. Looking over at one of the many windows lining the corridor, she saw the white light of the full moon through the glass. She was drawn to it._

_The Pandora felt herself being pulled toward the window by some unknown force, but she didn't feel any danger. Her feet glided effortlessly over the cool stone of the floor until she reached the window. She placed her hands up on the stone windowsill and leaned against it._

_Her eyes were drawn to the beautiful moon, and she noticed it was double the size of the moon she was used to. It took her breath away and for some unknown reason, she could feel its rays warming her bare shoulders. Somewhere deep in her mind, she knew that should be impossible, but it didn't register. Her mind was so clouded over by the beauty and the moon's warm caress she couldn't think of anything else._

_Suddenly, Chiffon felt a presence behind her and without turning around, she knew exactly who it was._

_"Hello, Kazuya," she whispered breathily._

_"Chiffon-senpai," he whispered in the same tone. Her eyes closed at hearing her name coming from his mouth. She smiled again._

_Kazuya walked up behind her and laid gentle hands on her shoulders. She leaned into his touch. He lightly traced his palms over her bare skin, and she sighed. Then he pulled her up against him so the back of her head was resting on his chest. She leaned into him with no resistance at all. His hands slid languidly down her bare shoulders and arms and down to her hands, where they stopped. He linked his hands together in front of her, and his body heat enveloped her._

_Kazuya was entranced by the beauty in front of him. He had been drawn to this hallway by something he didn't understand, but he felt strangely serene. Like everything in his life was perfect and right where it was supposed to be. Like the girl in his arms was exactly where she was supposed to be. He didn't understand it, but he didn't feel that he wanted to._

_The smell wafting up from Chiffon's heavenly soft brown hair was intoxicating him. She smelled like lavender and pine and some other spices he couldn't identify. Unthinkingly, he leaned his face down and lightly kissed her head. He inhaled deeply and felt Chiffon shiver against him. He moved his face down from the top of her head to her neck, where the smell was even stronger. Lightly, he nuzzled her right below her ear, and she exhaled deeply. He gently brushed his lips over that place where her ear and her jawbone connect, making her sigh again._

_Chiffon was experiencing something she'd never felt before, bliss. Feeling Kazuya's lips brush across her skin was the most perfect thing she had ever felt in her life. She HAD to look into his eyes. She needed to see the fire she knew was filling them. She turned around._

_Kazuya felt her turning in his arms, and he let her, but didn't let go. He was shocked by the heat in her gaze as she looked up into his silver eyes with her eyes wide opened. In that very moment, everything seemed to fall into place._

_Her eyes… they were constantly changing colors. No, it was not right; he couldn't make out any colors at all. They were mixing with each other in a rhythmic dance. It was more like a swirling tornado, yet so peaceful and angelic._

_It was exactly what made him feel so lost before. Kazuya couldn't, for his life, figure out what could possibly make his dreams end up the same way every time; he did now._

_He was lost in Chiffon's beautiful, mesmerizing eyes._

_He leaned down very slowly, as if to brush a light kiss over her slightly-parted lips, but instead, he got about an inch away and whispered, "Chiffon-senpai…"_

_And again, "Chiffon-senpai."_

_._

Satellizer shouted from the side of her bed. Chiffon's eyes flew open and she stared at her friend in shock. She was still breathless from her dream.

"Thank God, you finally wake….. up…." Chiffon tilted her head confusedly, wondering what made the blonde trail off and stare at her with the same shock that she knew existed in her eyes. After a second, she decided to ask.

"Uh, Satella… Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Chiffon-senpai… Your eyes…" Satellizer replied, still eyeing her friend dumbstruck.

"What about it?" Chiffon asked, sounding more settled than before.

Satellizer opened her mouth to explain, but before any words came out, Chiffon's eyes turned back to their normal chocolate brown color, just like a few times she saw them before.

"Nah, it must be my imagination. Anyways… Sorry Chiffon-senpai." Satellizer changed the topic, feeling sheepish again. The brown-haired girl had fully recovered by then, and every part of her was screaming for revenge.

"Now, now, Satella dear, do you really think you could get away with just a 'sorry'?" Chiffon replied, her voice sickly sweet, and she began crawling towards Satellizer despite her pleading whimpers. Ironically, if anything could scare the Untouchable Queen to death, it would be a monster. Or more particularly, a _smiling_ one.

.

Kazuya lounged himself on the bed, sighing deeply. He had been knee-deep in all the research and practice for a long while; his Limiter skills increased remarkably, but he hardly had time to relax and refresh. He didn't even have time to meet up with his friends. Hell, even if he tried to distract himself with the word "friends", he knew from his heart that he was only thinking of one person.

This made him sigh again. It was true; he had been neglecting Chiffon-senpai even more than he had been neglecting himself. He sometimes caught a glance of her during lunch or on his way to classes; but all they could do is passing each other a friendly smile. He would never admit it, but just seeing her bright smile was enough to renew his energy after a whole day, and he silently chastised himself every time he missed a chance to talk with her.

He stood up and walked to the computer. He'd go crazy if things went on like this. Kazuya opened his E-Mail account and wrote a quick letter to Chiffon. He should as well invite her to dinner to make up for his disappearance.

_Chiffon-senpai,_

_If it's possible, can you go to the campus restaurant at 8:00 tonight? We can have dinner there. I'm really looking forward to meeting up with you. I'm very sorry for suddenly becoming distant like this; it's just that I've been really busy these days. _

_Kazuya_

_._

Chiffon was dully surfing the Internet when she saw a notification pop up, signaling a received E-Mail. Hastily reading it, she smiled excitedly. She wouldn't miss this for the world.

Oh well, maybe this time she'd ask for Satellizer's advice. Even if the blonde was sulking in her room with tiny red marks all over her body.

.

Author's Note: I'm heading to Koihime Musou fandom soon, but I'll try my best to update frequently. If anyone has a suggestion on a pairing (Freezing or Koihime or both), please PM me, or mention it on your reviews.

Later Days!

NCT


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: Here goes some action! Okay, some maybe not actually action, but the preparing phase of it. Now, chapter 7.

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Chapter 7

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"… No."

"… Please…?"

Chiffon forced herself to look at Satellizer with wide kitty eyes. That was not something she did everyday, but desperate situations call for desperate measures. Exactly as she thought, the blonde girl's stony façade visibly wavered after glancing at her teary chocolate marbles. Untouchable Queen or not, she always had a soft spot for cutesy, and that was something Chiffon would always take advantage of.

"Oh all right. I'll come by your room tonight and sort this out."

Chiffon inwardly cheered. Her analysis of clothing backfired on her the last time, and she had freaked out enough not to make a repetition.

Little did she know, by 5 P.M. that day she was, influenced by Satellizer, frantically scouring her closet… Again. Meanwhile, the blonde-haired girl sat leisurely at the recliner, smirking at the predicament she just put Chiffon in.

_Ah,__revenge __is __sweet,_ She thought.

.

To Chiffon's pleasant surprise, the dinner went much better than what she imagined it to be, despite her disastrous preparation. At a point where she was about to burst into tears, Satellizer finally showed mercy and took out what she thought to be the best solution: A cute blue sundress, an orange jacket and a pair of red high heels ("To make you not look like a shortie so much," she had mockingly said). Ignoring the teasing, Chiffon had to admit her friend's talent at picking clothes, and wondered why Satellizer always spent so much time standing flustered in front of the mirror herself.

Wiping her mouth clean, Chiffon sighed with content and disappointment that she had devoured the cake so quickly; everything would taste better when you slowly and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then again, it was probably just an ideal; she would always have finished the food before she knew it, therefore she never had a chance to prove what was right.

"Ah… I'm filled." She said, leaning back on the chair. To anyone else, it seemed like she hadn't eaten at all; not to Kazuya though, he had watched with awe when Chiffon ate her food with the most impeccable manners he'd ever seen, but also… with the fastest speed he'd thought possible. But, he'd just keep it to himself for now, and maybe for a teasing later.

"Me too, Chiffon-senpai. The food here is really delicious." He replied. "Completely different from the academy canteen."

Chiffon nodded in agreement. Granted, the dishes provided in the canteen were specialties coming from all over the world, but students often found themselves missing the normal meals they used to have before. Luckily, this restaurant had almost everything they needed; and even better, not everyone knew about it.

Sliding in their credit cards and ordering some drinks, the two started talking amiably.

"I have to tell you again senpai, you look great in your sundress. Shame it's getting cold soon." She giggled. Long gone were the times she blushed furiously at his compliments; well, if she still did, her face would probably stay burning red all the time.

"Stop it Kazuya. You're just spoiling me." She said, playfully punching his arm. "And you don't look too bad yourself."

"Thanks senpai." He admitted he was quite proud of his choice too; he always looked like a clown when wearing shorts, so he decided to stick with blue jeans. And for the top, he opted for a light pink shirt (which was still manly, thanks for asking). Even as he trained in the Fitness-studio everyday, his body was not as well-toned as he hoped for, but a little too lean, so he thought bright color would make up for it.

"Just for the record, I'm not teasing you. I'm just telling the truth. Well, maybe not really the truth…" He trailed off, sneaking a look at Chiffon. Just as expected, her jaw dropped as she stared dumbstruck at him. Only after she heard his amused snicker did she realize the last sentence was a jest.

"Oh shut up you." She faked angry and pinched his hand hard, making him wince in surprise and pain. She pretended nothing had happened and continued to enjoy his drink.

"Chiffon-senpai, you're no fun." Kazuya complained a second later. His hand now had an angry red mark, which strongly reminded Chiffon of the sulky Satellizer.

"Serves you right. We women always feel insulted when someone talks badly about our appearances." She made a crestfallen expression when saying so. But, to her surprise, his grin got even wider.

"Come on, I know you're just trying to get me feel guilty. I know you now senpai, it's not going to work."

A mild girl as she was, Chiffon stood no chance against Kazuya and Satellizer, or anyone for that matter, in verbal fighting. So she did what she normally would in this situation: huff and turn away.

But just as her eyes left his, the gentle yellow light inside the restaurant suddenly turned into blazing red, bringing with it the sharp alarm sound that sent chills to everyone's spines.

It was an emergency alert.

.

Chiffon raced back to the academy, Kazuya right at her heels; she could tell by his heavy breathing as he tried his best to keep up. She paid no mind to it though; the problem at hand had completely occupied her thoughts. According to the announcement, all available Chevaliers were already dispatched to Red Alert areas a little while earlier, so even if the number of NOVAs heading towards West Genetics wasn't significant (just one S-Class NOVA and a couple of R-Class ones), the third-year Pandoras were still needed.

As they approached the main yard, there were already a handful of helicopters landing and departing, carrying with them Pandoras and their Limiters. Two girls standing nearby, whom Kazuya recognized were Ticy Phenyl and Elizabeth Mably- the 3rd and 2nd-ranked Third Year, noticed the brown-haired figure running towards them, so they waved their hands, motioning for her to go near.

Right after Chiffon stopped to catch her breath, Elizabeth scowled.

"Where have you been? We should have been the first to go, yet Ticy and I have to wait for you here."

Chiffon sent her an apologetic look. "Sorry Elizabeth, I had some… business to tend to." She shot a glance to Kazuya, who was standing awkwardly next to her.

Ticy sighed. "It's okay, but we have to move now. Elizabeth, where are Andre and Abel?"

"They are at the debriefing. It should be finished by now."

"Please go get them then. I have something to talk to Chiffon." The black-haired Pandora said with an unusual authorized tone, despite having lower ranking than Elizabeth. Nevertheless, Elizabeth firmly nodded and took off.

Ticy turned back to Chiffon and spoke.

"Chiffon, you still don't have a Limiter, don't you?" Chiffon eyes dropped, and she weakly nodded. It made the other girl visibly irritated.

"How many times do I have to tell you to find one fast? I have heard you complain about emergency baptism many times, it's always about your power isn't in-sync with the Limiter…"

Ticy went on for a few more seconds, and Chiffon cowered at her words. It was true… And she still had no idea what to do about it.

"Now, let's take care of this later. Go to the helicopter to find the emergency baptism chamber, and get some random guy to fight with. I'm going with Elizabeth now." With this, she started running to Elizabeth, who was waiting near a landed copter with their two Limiters.

Now that Kazuya and Chiffon were alone, he decided to ask.

"Chiffon-senpai… Why don't you have a Limiter?"

With a tone that made him think she was either irritated or close to tears, she told him the reason. Hanging on to every word, Kazuya felt his heart throb excitedly. Despite having been her (kinda) close friend for a while now, the issue of Pandora-Limiter was never brought up in their conversations. Even if he had never seen Chiffon being... more intimate than usual with any boys, he had the right to hope... and to doubt. But now, the problem was solved, and he had a good shot waiting for him.

After she was done, she came up with an idea.

"Kazuya, I have an amazing idea. Why don't you become my Limiter this time? We can try fighting NOVAs together! It'll be cool!" It was a bright idea indeed.

"I'd be honored to, Chiffon-senpai." He smiled reassuringly at her. "I promise I'll do my best."

She beamed. She might never admit it, but asking him that question was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life. Fortunately, she was able to pull it off with the purposefully nonchalant act. Now, it depended on him whether he'd like to keep her Stigma on his body or… God forbid, not.

As they walked to the baptism chamber hand in hand, they both had the same thought: "Please God, don't make this a one-time baptism."

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Author's Note: I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while, and this chapter is a little short. I promise I'll make the next longer.

Later Days!

NCT


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: To BrazeRancor, first of all thanks! You have reviewed for me in 4 chapters in a row, which is an amazing encouragement for amateur writers like me. For that you get a cookie and… I don't know, maybe an oneshot? How does it sound? Not very tempting, I know. But it's the only thing I can do to return your graciousness. Now, chapter 8.

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Chapter 8

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If anyone saw Chiffon and Kazuya come out of the baptism chamber, he would definitely not think they were about to risk their lives and engage a formidable enemy.

Let's take another glance… No, definitely would not.

For some reason, Kazuya felt light on his feet. Maybe it was the side effect of the immediate short-term anesthetic applied to him before the baptism took place. He had formerly refused to it, arguing that it would probably lower their ability to fight; but upon hearing about certain risks of being conscious when the body was synchronizing with the newly applied Stigma, he relented. Nevertheless, he knew this was just partially why he felt that way.

It was mostly because of the brown-haired angel by the name of Chiffon Fairchild walking next to him. Or more accurately, the fact that he now held a part of her on his body.

Somehow, this thought managed to bring a warm sensation to his back, where Chiffon's Stigma was currently residing. He smiled at the pleasant feeling and glanced at her. Not really surprisingly, she was skipping cheerfully like she had no care in the world. He had, by one way or another, gradually come to know that it was the way she used to prevent everyone to discover her real emotions. But if he just observed a little closer, he would find certain emotions well hidden on the angelic face of hers. Some shyness around the eyes, some happiness around the smile… There was always something, and he seemed to be the only one that can make it out.

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Sitting on the helicopter, Chiffon put on her combat suit a little awkwardly. Well, she could not very well activate Volt Texture to change right in front of Kazuya, could she? And, to add insult to injury, this was her very first time to change into this kind of suit without the help of her abilities. 30 seconds later, for reasons unknown, she found herself gotten twisted inside the jacket. To her utter embarrassment, she heard Kazuya snicker and his approaching footsteps; and with one swift move, he removed the jacket for her.

"Senpai, you can use Volt Texture to change. I promise I won't peek." His voice was full of amusement; at her glare, he covered her eyes and turned away. When he turned back, Chiffon was already in her fighting attire, looking as nonplussed and carefree as ever, as if she had just put on her favorite dress.

"Well, we'll be there any time now." She said, absent-mindedly playing with her hair. "Are you feeling nervous Kazuya?"

A little taken aback by the question, Kazuya had no choice but to tell the truth. "Yes, senpai. This is the first real fight I've been in, and no matter how much training I've had beforehand, I can't seem to get rid of it."

She sat down next to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Kazuya, I know what it's like; everyone feels the same way as you do. This is my first fight too, you know. Besides, you're great at this!" She said enthusiastically. "I've seen you in training for a few times…" She trailed off at this, her face suddenly turned red.

Kazuya didn't miss what she said; he raised an eyebrow. "You have, Chiffon-senpai? But I was always practicing alone in the intensive training chamber… Unless…" Realization slowly dawned on him. But before he managed to say it out loud, Chiffon bolted from the seat, her face furiously crimson.

"You don't have to know how Kazuya! I just know you are, that's all." She said, her voice coming out nearly a squeak in embarrassment. Not letting him have a chance to reply, she moved as far from him as the copter allowed, then turned away. But nothing could stop her from hearing his amused chuckle and her face from burning up again.

_Damn you Kazuya~_

"So you must have known that I don't need an Ereinbar Set to activate the Freezing net then." She jerked her head back at this; indeed, she had seen him do it with her own eyes, but she was never spared a thought to it, since her mind was completely consumed by… something else. It explains why she was gawking at him dumbstruck at the moment.

Feeling a bombard of questions coming at him, Kazuya hurriedly explained everything.

"And that's why I'm completely independent of others at fighting." Kazuya said with a little smug in his tone.

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"Not a moment too soon, Chiffon!" She could hear Elizabeth yelling at her as soon as they landed, but before she could reply, a serious-looking woman appeared in front of her. She was wearing standard Chevalier uniform, which further emphasized her authority and intimidating aura. If Chiffon were completely honest with herself, she'd say she was a little unnerved by this person. But she stood her ground and saluted the senior with controlled etiquettes.

"I apologize for my tardiness, ma'am. I'm Chiffon Fairchild, West Genetics' Third Year."

Not even bothering to return the respectful gesture, the woman said.

"You must be that 'Monster' everyone has been talking about." With a quick speculating glance, she huffed. "You sure don't look like it."

Chiffon liked this person even less after this, if it was even possible.

"Anyway, this is your first time in the battlefield, so I trust you to strictly follow your orders." She continued, unaware of the distasteful stare courtesy of Chiffon. "And most important, never leave the formation! You do that, and I swear I'll be the first one to punish you for it. Now, one R-Class has been neutralized, so join the 2nd division to engage the first S-Class." With that she was on her way.

Kazuya sneaked a glance at his Pandora and saw her sticking her tongue out childishly at the senior that she clearly disliked. He saw her eyes slowly drifted sideways to meet his, and after a split moment, he burst out laughing uncontrollably.

When he recovered, she was already gone. He sighed and ran after her.

"Chiffon-senpai! Wait for me!"

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"Decoys! Spread out and divert the attacks!" Chiffon shouted, immediately and successfully re-ordering the formation.

"Roger!" Four Pandoras promptly used Tempest Turn to charge omni-directionally at the alien, therefore slowly managed to alter the overall course of its variable assault.

_Just __a __few __more __seconds__… _Exactly as planned, the lasso-like metal tentacles acting as guardians in front of the torso gradually dispersed to pursue the decoys.

"Attackers! Engage now!" Three other Pandoras departed at once, effectively utilizing their high-end skills to approach the NOVA without being noticed, meanwhile the decoys temporarily retreated just a little so that the tentacles would follow persistently in order to terminate them. With professional use of their abilities and weapons, the troops quickly destroyed the last piece of armor guarding the targeted core.

_It__'__s __my __turn __now,_Chiffon thought, going through the tactics rapidly in her head_.__In __order __for __the __Finisher __to __obliterate __the_ _NOVA__core_, _she __needs __her __Limiter __to __use __all __his __strength __to_ _momentarily_ _immobilize __the __NOVA __for __exactly __3 __seconds_, _which __is __supposedly __enough __for __a __standard __Pandora __to_ _get __close __to __the __core __and __destroy __it.__If __the __Limiter fails to achieve this__,__his __partner __will __be __in __grave __danger._

She suddenly looked around frantically. Where was Kazuya? She had left him behind! Wasn't she supposed to carry him with her? Why on earth did she think he could keep up with her Accel? Chiffon's knees almost gave way under her in self-disgust. She could not attack without a Limiter… She would fail. Her comrades would die in vain.

_No!_

She looked up, her face void of emotion. She was Chiffon Fairchild, the undisputed 1st-ranked student in the academy, and she was not going to disappoint everyone. This was going to cost her life and she knew it, but it will be a fair trade for others' safety.

To everyone's amazement, Chiffon used her legendary Illusion Turn and appeared again face-to-face with the NOVA in a blink of the eye. Staring at the creature's stony features, a quick bitter thought crossed her mind. _I __confront __humanity__'__s __enemy __once __and __have __to __pay __my __life __for __it__…_ And with one sharp movement, she charged at the target, her lethal gauntlet extended forward.

_Just a little more…_

Her eyes opened wide, and she gasped out blood.

More than ten tentacles impaled Chiffon's body in their attempt at terminating the potential threat to their owner.

The claws were stopped dead in their tracks.

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Running as fast as he could to the position of the 2nd division mentioned by the former Pandora, Kazuya suddenly collapsed. A searing pain ran through his body, making him feel as if his flesh and blood were on fire. Closing his eyes painfully, he lost control of his body, submitting to continuous spasms convulsions that overwhelmed his will to resist. His heart twisted in fear, and for a split moment, an image appeared in his head: His treasured Pandora, hanging bloody and lifelessly in the NOVA's ties.

He screamed in rage, his strength renewed, and he ran with abnormal speed towards the monster, whose position he somehow knew exactly. Chiffon needed him… and God knows he would save her.

"Wait for me Chiffon-senpai…"

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Cliffy!

I have enough ideas for the next chapter, and I promise I'll update soon.

Later Days!

NCT


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: Yeah… I did say I would update soon, didn't I? You'll have to excuse me, since I'm just a high-schooler that spends way too much time doing things other than homework JK I'm preparing my behind out for the 1st semester test.

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Chapter 9

Chiffon lay motionlessly with her eyes closed, trying to use her other senses to figure out where she was. She felt so light… she was resting on some kind of fluffy feather, but pleasantly cool and moist to the touch. She half-hearted tried to lift her arms, but she soon realized she couldn't even move a finger. After a few fruitless attempts, she gave up and began to recall what had happened earlier.

Ah, yes… She tried to finish the NOVA, but failed and got really badly injured… so it must mean… she's dead then?

Just as she was dwelling on this newfound discovery, she heard someone snicker bitterly. The voice she heard next was strikingly familiar.

"Even if I'm dead, who gives a damn?" She opened her eyes in surprise, her body suddenly finding the power to move again. Pulling herself up, Chiffon looked around to find the source of the voice. And when she looked behind her back, she saw the exact image of herself smirking. The doppelganger's clothes were torn and bloody, the red liquid trickling down from various wounds on her broken body.

Chiffon gasped in terror, but her image didn't seem to notice. It limped right through her, leaving a trail of blood as it slowly advanced into the thick mist to nothingness.

The real Chiffon (or so she thought) kneeled down in desperation. It couldn't be… even if she was really dead, she'd never give up like this! "Who cares?", did it ask? Many people cared! My friends, my family, my… Kazuya…

As soon as thoughts regarding Kazuya crossed her mind, she heard someone call her name.

"Chiffon-senpai! Wait for me!" A figure could be seen running through the fog. As it got close to her, Chiffon could see how familiar it was to her; the unruly black hair, the cute handsomeness, the mesmerizing black eyes… His face.

"Kazuya-kun!" She reached out for him as he ran towards her, but just like the doppelganger, she could do no more than thin air to stop him. The only thing she could do is to see him pursue the other Chiffon in pain and longing.

Before her eyes, she saw her double collapse on Kazuya's arms, and he cried her name in agony before lowering his lips onto hers.

Her eyes opened wide as a familiar indistinct sensation overwhelmed her senses. Drowning in the foreign feeling, it took Chiffon's little rational mind left a little while to realize what it was.

… _Ereinbar Set?_

_._

Everyone present stared in amazement as Kazuya's burst of Freezing power as he caught sight of his Pandora on the brink of death. Momentarily stunned by his raged scream, the other Limiters were utterly taken aback his pale blue net easily exceeded their own and spread out with incredible speed towards the monster. Within a mere second, it reached the NOVA, effectively immobilizing its entire massive figure.

But that wasn't the only thing that stupefied them. What was even more peculiar is that Chiffon's unmoving body was strangely glowing in the frozen NOVA's restraint. And, much to people's delight, she began to move.

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Excruciating pain assaulted Chiffon as she slowly regained consciousness, and for a moment she regretted ever having woken up. But just for a moment. As soon as rationality kicked in, she vehemently resisted the desire to yield, and for reasons unknown to her, the pain seemed to subside little by little. Trying her best to ignore the blinding light and open her eyes, she found herself covered in blue light. And her fatal wounds, which she had gotten quite used to seeing, had stopped bleeding. Looking up, she was shocked to look at her opponent once again, only this time paralyzed. And, the core was still there, sticking out like a sore thumb. If only she had enough strength to destroy it…

"Chiffon-senpai… Retreat…" A voice seemed to resonate inside her head, making her jump a little. It's Kazuya's voice! But… she looked down to ground to find him standing significantly on the cliff, his powerful aura revolving around him. Putting that aside, how could his voice reach her ears like this? They were at least 150 feet apart…

"Pull back please… I can't hold on much longer…" Never mind how, Kazuya sounded weaker, much to Chiffon's horror. How could she just retreat? She must act fast, or else…

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Pushing near his limits, Kazuya desperately hoped Chiffon had mustered enough strength to pull back and rest. Then suddenly, the clouds above started to whirl, and slowly concentrated on the NOVA as the wind blew furiously about. What just happened?

"It's Chiffon's Monster mode!" He could hear someone yell. Turning around, he saw Elizabeth Mably with her Limiter. They were looking upwards in amazement just like everyone else.

Catching his eyes, the blonde Third-Year took a second to recognize him.

"Hey, you must be Chiffon's new Limiter." Then, as if realized something, her tone changed. "How on earth can you do that?" It didn't take a detective to know

"I don't know myself Elizabeth-senpai. I was so angry for a while… and the next thing I know I've put this up." He replied quickly, trying to drown the sound of the wind. "You were saying about Monster mode?"

"I can't explain it. You'll have to see by yourself." Guessing by her nonchalant tone, Kazuya could surely tell she just got here and knew nothing about Chiffon getting badly hurt, but he decided not to speak his thoughts. Instead, he turned back upwards… to see the most spectacular thing he'd ever seen.

Two wings of light burst out proudly from Chiffon's back, and her entire body radiated so brilliantly it hurt a little to stare. Still, he couldn't take his eyes off her; saying she looked like an angel was a massive understatement. There's simply no pen in the world that could even begin to describe her divine beauty right now. Perhaps he was exaggerating a little bit, but… seeing Chiffon right now made him realize how hard he had fallen for her.

Before he could close his eyes, blazing white light exploded in the air with a deafening crash, sending everyone staggering on their feet. Kazuya had to take a few steps back, completely caught off guard by the impromptu event. The atmosphere around him also started to change as the clash of two incredible forces shook up the whole area.

Finally, when the wind died down and the sky returned to normal, the fight was over.

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"So, tell me again Chiffon-senpai, why could you heal your wounds so fast? You barely needed to even go to the infirmary. And your injuries were…" He shuddered in as he recalled the horrible image. "… Really nasty, if you ask me."

The two were relaxing on the trip back by the underground train, as the emergency was over and the helicopters were no longer available, much to their delight. The car, despite its massive capacity, only had several occupants; the physical professor, Eliza Schmidt, was here, currently patching Ingrid's arm up. Elizabeth and Ticy were also sitting nearby, along with their Limiters. The brown-haired girl had just finished having her wounds dressed, and she came back to her seat, looking as healthy and unfazed as she could be. It made Kazuya unable to keep from asking.

"I have no idea either." Chiffon gingerly touched her bandaged shoulder. "But, I do remember getting engulfed in a strange blue light, and all my wounds stopped bleeding then."

Kazuya was interested at this. But before he could tell her to elaborate, a feminine voice spoke up.

"I saw it too Chiffon-san, and as a medic I have to say it's really abnormal. In fact, I've never seen such rapid self-regeneration before in my career." They looked up to see Ms. Schmidt standing above them, a curious expression on her face. He quickly stood up to greet her respectfully, not forgetting to support Chiffon as she did the same. Smiling at their homage the older woman motioned for them to sit back down.

"Is there anything more to the story?" After joining the pair on the bench, Eliza asked.

"Well…" Kazuya hesitated, unsure of what to say. But fortunately (or unfortunately, depends on the way you look at it) a quick-mouthed Limiter among those present spoke up.

"Yeah, I think there is. We all saw this guy here," he motioned to Kazuya with a grin, "race towards the NOVA with lightning speed, then Freezing power burst out from him. Blue light, mind you. Not normal green."

"And it easily surpassed ours. Both in range and power." Another chimed in. "Man, was it out of this world." He concluded excitedly.

While the boys were talking Eliza quickly took note of important details with her phone. After sending the message to the Principal, she said to Kazuya and Chiffon, who were both sitting quietly in their places.

"Well, looks like I have what I need, and Sister Margaret will see to this issue. In the meantime, I have to ask you something."

Feeling the officer's look, Kazuya returned her gaze with confusion.

"So, what I want you guys to do… is to continue to be each other's partners."

Although this was impromptu, the pair couldn't contain the happy smile off their faces.

"Really?" They were greeted with Eliza's amused expression.

Quickly realizing the immaturity in the action they quickly changed back to the normal facade.

"Is there a reason for your request Eliza-sensei?" Kazuya spoke up first.

Expecting this to come, the officer replied.

"Kazuya, we have known beforehand that you can use Freezing without the help of the Ereinbar Set." There were a few gasps at this, as everyone on the car was paying attention to them. This was no news to the pair in question, though.

"This is only my guess, but since your power is available without a Pandora partner, the Set will be able to trigger a special ability of the Freezing net instead."

Kazuya could only gaped in astonishment. Chiffon, being the more rational-minded, quickly grasped the officer's idea.

"You are saying, Eliza-sensei, that my regeneration was thanks to Kazuya's Freezing effect?"

Eliza nodded. "So, I'd have to ask you again..."

"It isn't necessary, Eliza-sensei." Chiffon said. "I'd be more than willing to stay as Kazuya's partner."

"Very well then. And Kazuya? Do you consent to this?"

He beamed in delight. "Of course I do."

"Fantastic. We're good then." The officer said as she walked to another seat, as everyone else also came back to their place. Finally alone, Kazuya and Chiffon grinned happily at one another.

"That's great!" Chiffon wrapped her arm around Kazuya in a friendly embrace. He returned the affectionate gesture with no hesitation.

"I'm glad too Chiffon-senpai."

Let's leave them be for now.

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AN: I deliberately made Chiffon take the initiative in the decision as an attempt to keep Kazuya in character.

Later Days!

NCT


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: Last update of 2011! This marks my first year as a Fanfiction writer (it makes me proud just by saying that). Huge thanks to all my readers and reviewers!

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Chapter 10

Chiffon stood in front of the window, absent-mindedly looking at the falling snow outside. She had to suppress a shiver; the girl despised everything involved with the cold, and snow, as breathtaking and romantic as it is, was no exception. Even moving around was hard in this kind of weather, thanks to the huge jackets she was currently wearing.

"Just thinking about carnivals and NOVA fighting in times like this makes me sick." Chiffon grudgingly thought.

So absorbed in finding more and more reasons to hate the cold, she never noticed a hand crawling up her shoulder. Or maybe it was just because of many layers of clothes she had on.

"Boo."

Her heart nearly sprang outside. But before her mind got to go blank and her knees got to collapse, Satellizer's ringing laughter held her in consciousness.

"Oh Chiffon. Why do you never learn?" The blonde asked, wiping her tears of mirth. However she had reacted, it must have been hilarious.

"Isn't that my line?" Chiffon said dangerously, charging towards her friend. Or in this case, her arch foe.

"Do you really think that you can catch me in that attire?" Satellizer yelled back as she circled the room with max speed with the enraged friend hot on her heels.

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Kazuya was about to knock on Chiffon's door when he heard screeching and yelling and cursing and other things best left unsaid. One would say that he would open the door immediately to see if she was in any trouble, but he'd come to know his Pandora and her antics for a little too long for that.

So he opted for knocking politely on the door. Sure enough, every abnormal sound in the room ceased; and a second later Chiffon opened the door, as composed as ever. But she brightened up right away when she saw him outside.

"Hi Kazuya! How are you? Come on in!" She took his arm and pulled him inside.

"Chiffon-senpai, I was just… Oh, hello Satellizer-senpai. I didn't expect to see you here." He lied. He knew full well Chiffon wasn't the only one making those horrid sounds earlier.

"Hi." The blonde replied politely, all the while praying the boy wouldn't see anything abnormal on her.

"Uhm… Chiffon-senpai, Sister Margaret wants to see you." Kazuya suddenly remembered why he got here.

"She does? It must be about planning a new event for this year's Christmas." She beamed happily. If there were anything to look forward in the frigid winter, it would be Christmas. "I'd better be going then. Have fun!" Then skip away she did.

Kazuya was left alone with Satellizer in an awkward silence.

"Uhm…" He cleared his throat. "Senpai, you've got something on your…" He made a helpless gesture to illustrate the unsaid "everything" word, and then ran away for fear of his life.

Somewhere in Vietnam a diligently working Fanfiction writer could hear a girl scream.

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"Good morning Sister Margaret! Did you call for me?" Chiffon greeted delightfully. But her joy gradually waned when she saw the woman's expression stay serious.

"A good morning to you too, Chiffon-san." Despite her posture, the principal's voice was pleasant. "Please take a seat." The Pandora sat down, feeling a little nervous.

"What I'm about to tell you is strictly confidential, and in case you refuse, I'm asking you not to tell this to anyone else." Chiffon gulped. _This__can__'__t__be__good,_she thought. The girl stayed silent though, waiting for the older woman to continue.

"A letter was sent to our school yesterday, and it contains something I can't just slip." Her curiosity perked up at this. "Here it is."

She eagerly took the letter. It was written in neat handwriting of a man, she could tell just by glancing at it. Going through the letter quickly, she looked up completely dumbfounded.

"What does he mean… There's a NOVA core hidden somewhere in Japan?"

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For the second time of the day Chiffon stood in front of the window; but this time by no way absent-minded. She was too busy thinking about the letter that she had read.

"Okay then, let's sum it up rationally." She thought, "The credibility of this issue is yet to be proven, so Sister Margaret wants it kept a secret, and at the same time plans to send scouts to take care of it." She started pacing around the room. "By some standards she thinks I'm the most suitable for this assignment."

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_Flashback_

"_What I want you to do is go to the mentioned town and investigate this problem." After a few minutes of discussion, Sister Margaret concluded Chiffon's assignments. "You will be departing in three days."_

_After she finished the sentence, the Principal noticed something strange in the girl's silence. Glancing at her, she almost laughed at Chiffon's crestfallen face. Her bottom lip trembled as she spoke._

"_Three days later…? So I won't be here for Christmas…?"_

_She looked about to burst into tears any time now._

"_There, there. I promise I'll send you lots and lots of presents. And if there are any gifts sent to your room I'll forward to you too." Hardly ever did the mature Principal use this tone to anyone, but her Student Council President was an adorable exception (favorism much, but since no-one knew about it nothing was wrong)._

_Just as she expected, the 17-year-old baby immediately brightened up, the ever-visible smile back on her face._

"_Hai!"_

"_Good girl." Sister Margaret wanted nothing more than patting her head right now, but she refrained from doing such a frivolous action._

"_Oh, I want to ask something." Chiffon suddenly jumped, her hand shot upwards as if she were in class. "Must I go alone? I don't want to spend this Christmas by myself, especially in a middle of nowhere." She pouted at the end of her question._

"_Of course you can ask your Limiter to accompany you on this trip." The woman concurred. "And another Pandora too, as long as she keeps quiet about this."_

_Had the room been not a little dark then, she would have noticed the striking blush on Chiffon's face._

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"I'd love to join you on this Chiffon-senpai." Pausing a little, he added indignantly. "But… why on Earth did you try to put me in the closet?"

He was already a little wary when she dragged him all the way back to her room, and when she tried to stuff him into her closet, he was all but terrified and vehemently resisted, all the while tried to reason with her. At the end, she seemed to have thought it through and told him the story on the recliner.

"Because it's a secret! No one is supposed to know about it but us!" She replied.

The door suddenly opened, revealing Satellizer standing outside. Chiffon could hear Kazuya cursing under his breath. She didn't need to wonder though, because as soon as the blonde saw the raven-haired boy sitting there, she pointed a finger at him and shouted.

"Now I got you! Don't you dare run!" With that she charged.

Having nowhere to escape to, Kazuya decided to hide behind Chiffon's small frame when she, surprisingly, stood up to defend Kazuya.

"Satella! What're you trying to do with my Kazuya?" The smaller girl said protectively.

"He had insulted me and damaged my pride!" Satellizer retorted. It's Chiffon's turn to look at Kazuya in confusion.

"I did no such thing! All I did was tell her she had something on her! How am I supposed to know it was pinch marks?"

"Pinch marks?" This confused Chiffon even more. Then she realized. "Oh."

"I didn't say they were pinch marks." Satellizer said. Realizing his mistake, Kazuya quickly shut up. But it was too late.

"So you DO know!" The blonde shouted. "I'll kill you for this!" She lounged herself at the boy. Driven in a corner Kazuya had no choice but to spring forward to block the enraged Pandora's attack.

"Please…" Before the two forces could clash, a teary voice sounded up, stopping both in their tracks. They looked to their side hesitantly to find Chiffon sobbing softly into the pillow she was holding. "Don't fight…"

Every intention to fight in Satellizer dissipated at once, and Kazuya lowered his guard. The two quickly went by the crying girl's sides, doing their best to comfort her.

A few minutes later, Chiffon had stopped crying and was currently scolding the guilty ones sitting in front of her ("Violence between friends is simply unacceptable! You guys are both my friends, so you're friends too!"). Sighing in defeat, Kazuya glanced beside him to find Satellizer also looking at him. And for the first time, their meeting eyes contained understanding and sympathy for each other's cruel fate.

.

At the end of the day (or the end of Chiffon's lecture, all alike), Satellizer and Kazuya excused themselves and went back to their respective rooms. Unfortunately for both, they had to take the same route for pretty much all the way back, so needless to say the awkward silence reigned over. Eventually, as Kazuya took the parting way, he gathered enough courage to say something.

"Good night Satellizer-senpai." To his surprise, he heard her reply.

"Yeah, see you later."

Well, things between them were finally on the look-up.

.

Meanwhile, Chiffon was smiling contently in her sleep.

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Later days, and I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

NCT


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone! I'm back for a new start. And by the way, does anyone realize how awesome the new chapter of Freezing: First Chronicle is? So inspiring for me to continue writing. Now, chapter 11.

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Chapter 11

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One side of the small room was dimly lit by weak fluorescent lamps by the wall, revealing a few strange paintings hanging next to it. The other, though, looked quite warm and cozy with the fire dancing merrily in the fireplace.

In the darker side sat a lone figure of a tall man, as could tell by the way his legs stretched on the floor. He was staring at the fire intently, partly because he had nothing more to do. He didn't want to go anywhere though, despite the fact that he was spending Christmas holiday brooding all by himself.

All of a sudden the phone rang loudly, making him wince in annoyance. Nevertheless he picked himself up from the chair, and walked towards the ringing object with small steps. As he started to get nearer to the brighter side of the room, the light revealed an incredibly thin body of a blonde man; not one part of his body seemed to have flesh within, but for some reason he managed to keep his face decent to look at with a constant half-smile resting on the flimsy pair of lips.

Picking up the phone, he answered it, his voice barely enough to hear. What was in the conversation could only be guessed by the stranger's face, which was currently bearing no emotion. But if one looked closer in the right moment, he would discover something extraordinary.

The left side of the face was violently twitching. And not just normally twitching. It was the kind of twitching that dragged your eye corner all the way down to the middle of the cheek where it met with its counterpart on the mouth. Sinuous blood-vessels emerged from the pale skin and were continuously jolting, making the mutation all the more terrifying.

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Sister Margaret disconnected. Reading a letter once more, this time carefully examining the phone number mentioned inside, she sighed. Playing this card was undoubtedly a risk, but not playing it would possibly ruin the game in the long run.

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-"Kazuya… I don't think this is a good idea…" Chiffon whispered into Kazuya's ear as if feared of being heard, but even with that she still couldn't hide the excitement in her voice.

-"Why not? It's fun." The Limiter replied, mischievously smiling.

"But… Isn't it too soon for that?"

"I don't think so… Nothing is better than a little sweat in this kind of weather…" Kazuya pulled Chiffon in by the hand; the naïve girl had to suppress a giggle.

….

"Oh God… Hurry!"

"Should I… right now?"

"Oh Kazuya… What are you waiting for?"

"Uhm…"

"No, not there, a little to the left"

-"This… right?"

"Yeah… Ah… Oh God…"

-"What should I do now?"

-"Fas… Faster… Kazuya, oh… Faster…"

-"I'm trying, Chiffon-senpai… but I've reached my limit… Ahhh…"

-"Oh my Lord… Ahhhh…" Chiffon screeched, exhaling loudly. She felt like she was covered in cold sweat... She looked sideways at Kazuya, whose forehead was also damp…  
>With a sulky pout, she glared at him…<p>

"Had I known you are that bad at playing computer games, I would never have been here doing strategist. See, one bite and you're gone!… Ach, being this frustrated is so bad for my skin." Chiffon shook her head, utterly discontented.

-"Humpf… If you're so good, why don't you try it?" Kazuya rested his chin on the table, muttering his protest.

-"Because… Because…" Chiffon stammered. Should she tell him she's afraid of this game? Yeah right. The 1st ranked student of the academy, the Monster that everyone spoke about with deference, the one that faced death multiple times and had a good time looking back… et cetera… All that and Chiffon almost collapsed as Kazuya wanted her to try "Resident Evil".

_It's not my fault! At least the NOVAs are decent to look at. Yet the zombies, all bloody and gory… if not beheaded then still lack of several body parts… It's a wonder not to be scared. Crap, I should've realized his taste since he invited me to that movie. _

"I'm not talking to you anymore! I'm going to sleep!" She turned away with fake indignation (actually it was embarrassment) and stalked back to her room.

"Huh? She really meant it?" Kazuya's eyes followed Chiffon's retreating figure in amusement. It was funny how the brown-haired girl always managed to put him in an extremely good mood with her cute sulky attitude. "Who's going to help me kill the boss now? Oh yeah, I forgot to bid her good night…"

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Chiffon's voice interrupted his monologue. "The mission we're going on is tomorrow noon. Remember to pack!"

_Now she tells me? It's like 11 o'clock for Christ's sake! _The good mood he was having was completely ruined by the thought of staying up the whole night packing.

Well, as depressed Kazuya thought he was, it still couldn't be compared to how Satellizer felt as she sleepily opened the door to that kind of news.

.

"Let's go!" No need to tell who said that, for Kazuya was dragging his luggage along like a drown kitten while the blonde girl was muttering curses and glaring daggers at the only one left in the trio.

"Brighten up you two! It's like a vacation!" Chiffon said cheerfully, clapping her hands together.

"As much as I love to agree with you Chiffon-senpai, I haven't got any sleep for like 24 hours and I don't exactly feel like brightening up right now." Kazuya said, and glared at his partner with reproach in his eyes.

"Oh, please don't be mad at me…" Chiffon whined.

"_Cool! Lovers' quarrel!"_ Satellizer thought with amusement, her anger temporarily forgotten.

They never saw the Principal approaching, holding a few folders in her hand.

"Good day to all of you. This is your last briefing before you depart." The woman announced to the three students in front of her. "Your primary mission is to investigate the abnormal behavior of the villagers and locate the NOVA core. As soon as you have the pinpoint on its position, contact immediately. A specialist team will be there as soon as possible."

"One more thing. Inside this are the identity and address of the letter's sender. He will provide you with everything you need until the mission is accomplished." Sister Margaret handed out the white envelope.

Only then did she notice whether the students are listening, and when she did, a large vein appeared on her forehead.

Chiffon was currently leaning his face on Kazuya's shoulder, all the while seemed to be making her best puppy face; Kazuya was huffing and seemed determined to ignore the Pandora, but to anyone else it was obvious that he enjoyed her doing, judging by the blush on his face. Satellizer was openly grinning at the scene played by the other two.

Darn, how can she possibly be mad at them?

So Sister Margaret chose to smile and ushered them on the jet. Yes, a jet. None of them liked choppers, and she still owed Chiffon a lot of presents.

"Good luck everyone! Be safe!" She called after her students as they embarked.

.

"So the Untouchable Queen is coming too, eh…?" The stranger smirked. "I haven't seen you for a while. Satella."

.

AN: End of a really short chapter, but it'll have to do. I'm out for a while now, Chinese New Year's coming!

NCT


	12. Omake

Disclaimer: I don't own Freezing.

Author's Note: Hello everyone, it's been a really long time since I last updated my story. My most sincere apologies to all you guys looking forward to more, but truth is… Well, I'm at 12th grade and getting ready for the university entrance exam is my foremost purpose in my life right now. So, my parents kinda banned me from freely using computers, and restricted my iPod touch usage as well. So this should be the last time I write anything in the coming year… I might as well entertain you guys a little.

So, this chapter is a light omake to summarize why I wasn't able to write fanfics like the last year.

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Chapter 12: Omake

"Author-sannnn…" Chiffon bounced on the author's head. "You haven't written any fanfic for so long-nya…"

"Uh-uh," the author picked up Chiffon and tossed her lightly to Kazuya who was sitting nearby. "I updated the crossover fic recently."

"Weeeeeee…." Cheered the flying Chiffon.

"Well, but you really haven't written the new chapter for your longest story "It All Began With A Dream." It's your so-called work of your life isn't it?" Kazuya asked with a grin as he caught Chiffon. Now she was playing with his hair instead.

"Uh-huh."

"Hey, at least look at me when we're talking! What are you doing?" Kazuya peeked at the author's computer.

"Oh, a visual novel…" Chiffon perks up at that. She jumped on the table and looked at the laptop as well. At that moment the sound went CLANG as the two people in the monitor crossed swords.

"Nyaaaaa!" Chiffon toppled from the table as she was startled out of her skin. Gladly someone caught her before the hard ground did.

"Hey, I know this game! It's Fate/ stay night!" A new voice spoke out.

"Oh, it's Aisha…" Chiffon looked up gratefully at her savior. "Thanks a lot-nya!" She started to play with Aisha's long black hair.

"You're right Aisha, it is." The author sighed dreamily. "Aw… Saber and Shirou… they're so adorable together…" Author rested his chin on the keyboard. "I'm so gonna write a fanfic for them when I have time…"

"Damn it, why does Saber have to go away at the end? Why can't they be together?" Author burst into torrents of anime tears. The characters kept quiet at the emotional outburst.

.

A few hours later…

"Well, I'm all good now." Author said with a poker face.

"So… You haven't finished Koihime Musou, both the game and the oneshot." Aisha voiced her complaint.

"Oh…"

"And the Freezing fanfic too-nya!" Chiffon chirped happily.

Author threw a pillow at Chiffon. "Blame the mangaka will you? You were killed in the manga you know, how can I possibly have the muse to continue?" Author asked the crestfallen Chiffon. She jumped on Kazuya's head for comfort.

"Anou… Author-san, why are so many of your fanfic files unfinished?" Someone asked meekly.

"Who's there?" Author turned around to see Shuri sitting at his laptop, and facepalmed. "I shoulda known… Shuri, things are really building up there, am I right?" The blonde girl nodded.

"And I even started playing another visual novel… And a few anime series… I even planned to download Clannad…Damn."

.

"Author, take another break." It was Aisha that suggested. "Even though you were on a hiatus earlier this year without telling anybody, your exams are drawing near. You have less than 1 year until then."

"Man, you must study, or else you're gonna be a big fail…" That was Aoi Toori, who was kicked out before he finished talking.

"The cheerful bastard, like I don't know…" Author was unable to say anything more, as his sister Kimi buried his face in her ample chest. (AN: I always wanted to do so… Hehe…)

"Now now, don't curse my foolish brother…" She said in her sing-song voice. Author did his best to nod.

"Author." A new voice called out. Author looked up to see Saber and Shirou enter. "Indeed you must focus. We're grateful for your thoughts of the new fanfic, but we can wait… together." Saber rested her head on Shirou's shoulder, smiling calmly.

Author looked at everybody… and looked up at Chiffon, who was again bouncing on his head. They all gave him supportive signs.

"Thanks everyone. I guess I'll stop the using the laptop until I graduate and get into a proper university. Now, all I need to do is apologize to the readers… and start cramming."

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"See you later everyone! (-nya!)" Said all characters.

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That's it for the short notice guys! See you all next year!

NCT


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